Dim Lights
by HarleyHart
Summary: If you're meant to be a killer, you're meant to be a killer. You have to accept the fact that you are not allowed the luxury of friends or family. Unless their demons play well with yours. Jeff the Killer, OC. Rated M for a reason, may contain smut later on. Violence is a given. Don't be a prat.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: This is just a little something that's wormed its way into my head during my long hours at work. It might go somewhere, it may not. As of now, Razor Smiles is on hiatus, for those that are curious. This will not tie in and is more of a side project. I'm facing writer's block again, unfortunately. There are so many different ways I can go with the chapter and I can't make up my mind. So, have this and maybe a few drabbles and other fanfictions until then. Please enjoy. **

Jeff was tired. He was tired and bloody and in desperate need of a shower. Perhaps it was time for him to take a bit of a break from his running. His last victim's apartment would make excellent quarters for the time being. The little zit didn't seem like he had made much friends.

Friends. As if he were one to judge the boy for being holed up in his room with a stack of World of Warcraft books, a Gameboy, and a copy of Maxim. Jeff had no friends. He had no family. He had no one. A killer was not allowed those luxuries. And he didn't want them. People lied. People hurt you, they abused you and your mind and your spirit until you crumbled and broke. He didn't need them.

Except maybe he did. Maybe he was feeling lonely. Maybe he wanted someone to at least sit by, silently taking in the world around them. He had tried that with Jane, but she was an idiot and annoying. So she was told to fuck off and given a nasty cut from his blade. He didn't try much after that and he didn't quite want to. Except tonight. He needed someone tonight.

Or something. A bottle could be his friend tonight. There was a gas station down the road. Jeff glanced at the clock. It was about midnight. He would walk and see if it were open. A shower beforehand, though.

It had been a while since he was able to cleanse himself in a warm shower. It was amusing to see the blood dripping down his body and swirling down the drain. Turned pink and thin from water dilution, it was a while before the water ran clear. He made use of the shampoo and conditioner and body wash, pleased that he had this luxury. The bathroom was warm and the mirror fogged when he finally stepped out, not bothering to wrap a towel around himself.

He had to step over the gutted body to throw his clothes in the washer. He paid no mind the cracked bones and ripped skin and bits of gore splattered around, instead borrowing boxers and a pair of black skinny jeans, socks, a wife beater, and a white hoody. The hoody was slightly too big, but he didn't mind. It was just nice to have clean clothes.

It was slightly chilly out, just now getting out of the cold season. He could see the moon when he tilted his head up to look at the sky, but the stars were hidden by the glare of street lights and the muggy air that drifted from the larger city nearby. He hadn't seen stars since his brief stay in the woods. That had been interesting and he had almost died. But it had been worth it for the quiet and the rest. He would not be going back, however.

And there it was ahead of him, glowing bright with an empty parking lot. Perfectly dead. Jeff laughed to himself. This was almost like the beginning of a horror movie. But, no, his blood lust was sated for the night. He wouldn't kill for the next several hours, more so if he could resist like he needed to if he wanted a bit of a rest.

He could hear his footsteps echoing through the parking lot and he slowed as he spotted the lone figure sitting in front of the store, a cigarette hanging from their lips like a tiny beacon. Jeff slowed even more but continued. Drawing up closer, he could see that it was a girl. Maybe about his age, maybe not. Pale skin, hair bleached white, almond shaped eyes of emerald that stared ahead in a pensive expression. She was wearing a polo. She did not look like the polo wearing sort. An employee then. The sole employee for the long and dull night.

Jeff tugged his hood up and brushed his hair forward to fall next to his cheeks. It wasn't much to hide his beautiful grin, but it did help a bit. Her eyes flicked up as he walked toward her, but her expression did not change. Rather, an air of annoyance radiated from the girl. She sighed and went to tamp out her cigarette, but Jeff held up a hand.

"It's fine, I can wait," his gravely voice managed. No words to another but to order them asleep and ask the question that had but one answer. His voice was rusty and he was almost anxious at the thought of talking to another without trying to kill them.

"Thank you," she told him, a warmth crept into her voice. It was a voice that could only be described as cute. Slightly high pitched, feminine. Like an anime character.

"Do you mind if I sit down next to you?" Jeff asked her.

A smile danced across her face and she took a drag of the cigarette, patting the ground beside her. "No, it's fine. Join me."

He sat next to her, slightly away and in the shadows of a pillar. "Are you working by yourself?"

"Yup," she said with a sigh, the 'p' made into a popping noise. "Would you like a smoke? They're American Spirits. Lovely menthol flavor."

"Yeah, sure, thanks." He wasn't the biggest fan of menthol, but a cigarette would do him wonders. He handed the green lighter back to her after he lit up. "You get lonely working all by yourself?"

"Sometimes. Tonight I'm lonely. It's obnoxiously dead and I could use the company. But…I usually prefer to be by myself." She sighed and titled her head back to gaze at the sky. "Are you new here or just visiting? I haven't seen you before."

"Just…just visiting. I'm Jeff."

"Luna. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Same," he mumbled, unsure of how to proceed. He remembered his reason for coming and rested his head against the pillar, smoking quietly for a few moments. "Oh, yes…do you sell beer here? I wasn't sure, but I figured it would be worth the walk to find out if you did."

"Closest place that sells beer is Palomar," she told him automatically. "And they stop after two in the morning."

"Damn. I'll have to get something else then."

They were quiet, the two of them as they smoked and stared out at the empty parking lot and murky sky. But it was enough for Jeff, at least for the moment. He was surprised she had let him to sit down with her. Jeff glanced over to take in her hooded eyes, slightly pursed lips, and pensive expression. Pretty, but there was something cold in her demeanor. Something that just said "back the fuck off I do not want your advances." Not specifically to him even. Just to the world, perhaps. He could understand that.

"How old are you?" she asked suddenly. "You don't even look twenty one."

His smile stretched up. "I'm twenty, actually. I was hoping you would let it slide."

She snickered. "Store policy makes us id if a person looks under forty…but I probably would have let it slide. I really don't give that many fu-bothers about it. I figure if a person wants a drink badly enough, they'll find a way to get it. And the cops don't care enough to do a check on third shift. Neither does my manager."

She had stopped herself from saying "fuck." A habit from working at the store, he supposed. "It would have been appreciated. How old are you?"

"Twenty one." There was a hint of pride in her voice. "Just had my birthday in January."

"Oh yeah? Had fun with all your friends? Drunk off your ass the whole night?" A tone of bitterness sounded through that. Did he have envy for those who could do such things? Yes. And he hated to admit it.

There was a few passing moments of silence and she shook her head, eyes far away. "No…no. I…I don't have friends. I don't like people. I stayed home and drank wine and watched Lord of the Rings all night. It was fun, though. For me."

"You don't like people?" he asked, the question popping out before he could stop himself.

"No, I don't. People get under my skin. Annoying. So annoying. Grimy gits that think they own the world and can walk over all in their path." Anger in that answer. "It's not to say that there aren't people that I like. There are one or two, but most…no. I have a hard time dealing with others."

"I suppose it's a good thing you work third shift then," he said quietly. "Am I bothering you?"

"Oh." She started and blinked, shaking her head, ashes falling from the cigarette. "Oh, no, no. I wanted the company. It's fine. You're not bothering me."

"I don't like people either," Jeff told her, the cigarette slipping through his fingers and resting onto the pavement, smoked down to the filter.

"You're right about how annoying they are. They'll take everything they have from you and act like they're doing you an honor. Liars and bullies and cretins."

She smiled and he could see that she had dimples. "Exactly. I do hope you have a job as well that allows minimal contact with others then."

"I do," he told her, a smirk wanting to form. His hand dipped into the pocket of his freshly washed hoody, tracing the blade lightly. She didn't push for details and he liked that.

"How long are you staying, Jeff?" she asked, dropping her own cigarette and standing up.

He was distracted momentarily by her stretching. She was a small and slender girl, but the soft curves she had were delectable looking to him."I…I'm not sure yet. It's undecided."

She shrugged and opened the door for him, a little exaggerated bow, emerald eyes flashing with a bit of humor. Jeff chuckled and stepped into the gas station. It was remarkably clean and tidy, but the lights were too bright for him. It's a wonder she didn't have a constant headache. Pop music played quietly through frazzled speakers overhead and he left her to roam the store for a minute. He felt her eyes follow him as she stood behind the register, elbows leaning against the counter and chin propped up and resting on her palm. A quiet and studious look. Not afraid he would steal or, rather, uncaring if he did steal.

He took a bag of chips from a rack and a bottle of water that was supposedly blueberry flavored. Blue. Blue eyes. He needed to get rid of the body when he got back to the apartment. There was a convenient pond nearby he could toss it in. Yes, that would work for now.

"Do you always think so hard about the water you choose?" she asked as she rang him up, nimble fingers dancing across the keys of the register. There was a teasing lit in her voice that he decided he liked.

"It usually takes five more minutes," he said, his smile stretching up.

She let out a laugh and he decided that he liked that too. She didn't raise a brow or make a comment as he handed over the money to pay for the food, his head lowered so she couldn't peer into his eyes or glimpse his glasgow grin. He appraised his hands for a brief second. Scarred, callused, unnaturally white, bits of blood underneath his fingernails. They were the hands of a killer. They were beautiful hands.

Her hand brushed against his as she handed him the bag. Small, pale, a freckle just underneath the knuckle of her pinky, and a light scar running down her thumb. He noticed for the first time the two matching leather bracelets encircling her wrists. Did they hide tattoos? Or something else?

She let out another laugh, lower this time. He had focused too long on her wrists and she had noticed. The laugh sent a pleasant chill down his spine. She unbuttoned one of the bracelets and offered her wrist to him, a grin on her face that could have matched his own. There was deep scar there on the otherwise unblemished surface. A cutter then.

"No, I'm not a cutter," she told him, the grin still on her face. "Sadistic bullies in high school. Second month of my freshmen year. They drug me into the woods for hazing and a 'sacrifice.' That was when I finally decided that people weren't worth my time."

The bracelet was snapped back into place, hiding it securely from the world. The grin dissipated and she looked a bit tired. "Have a good night, Jeff."

He nodded. "You as well."

Jeff began to walk out the store, but paused once more by the door at the sound of her voice. "I work tomorrow night as well. You can come back if you want, even if it's just to hang for a bit and not buy anything."

He laughed and walked out the store, a hand raised in a wave goodbye and acknowledgement of the statement, his sleeve slipping down to show his own scars.


	2. Chapter 2

He was back. He actually came back. Luna blinked back the surprise as he strolled into the store. He wore the same black jeans, the same white hoodie, the same scuffed boots. The hood was pulled up again and his long black hair was shuffled forward so much it obscured most of his cheeks and face.

But she could see it, the scars. They were much too extreme to hide, even with his hair in his face and his head bent down. That's why she had offered up hers the night before. So similar they were. Deep, deep scars. So painful and vivid and harsh. What a twisted smile they formed. It had reminded her of the Joker and his shocking glasgow grin. Luna toyed with her wrist cuffs. She wondered where his scars had came from, if he would tell her if she asked.

"You're back." It came out as a flat statement from her without surprise or pleasure showing through. She was pleased, though, and she was surprised.

He nodded, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Yeah. I was hungry and I figured why not pop in to see you."

Luna offered him a small smile. She didn't know if he could see it with his thick hair falling into his eyes, but the gesture was there and it was one rarely given. "What will it be today?"

"Um...jerky...and water." He walked around the store to grab his snack, Luna's eyes trailing after him.

Tall. He was extremely tall to her. And slender and pale. A weird sort of pale, though. Not the pale like she was from her nocturnal lifestyle. It was like Jeff was painted over or something. Maybe he was in an accident. Maybe that's how he got his scars. Maybe he ran into something...odd.

"Tired tonight?"

Luna blinked, startled, and let out a laugh. God, his voice was so rough. Not in quite a bad way, though. It sounded as if he didn't speak much. "Oh, no. Just thinking. Sorry."

"Not a problem." She could see his gaze flicker down to her hidden wrists as she rang him up. He was quiet as he paid. She noted his hands. Rough and scarred; they looked like he had reached through a shattered window and cut himself. They looked strong, though, and capable. She wondered what it would feel like if she were to feel them, slide her fingers over his palms and grasp his hands with hers. "Can I ask?"

She was jerked from her mind's descent into pondering and tore her gaze from his hands. He was still staring at the leather cuffs hiding her wrists. "Ask away."

"Why were they...why were they trying to sacrifice you? What to?"

She flinched inwardly, her expression not changing a bit on the outside. A sigh escaped her, though, and she picked up her cigarettes and lighter. "Let's take this conversation outside. I'll need a smoke for this."

Jeff nodded and waited for her to walk out from behind the counter to follow her outside the store. It was starting to get cold out. She needed a jacket. They sat on the chilly concrete, her sitting with her back against the left pillar and him a few feet away. She lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply, tilting her head back and shutting her eyes against the dim lights buzzing over head.

"You can have one if you want." She set the pack and lighter down, head still tilted back and eyes closed. A few seconds later there was the click of a lighter and a cough. "Do you believe in ghosts and goblins, Jeff? The boogie man, demons, monsters in the night?"

Silence for a few long moments and then a very quiet, "Yeah."

"Good." She opened her eyes, took a draw from her cigarette, and took a few seconds to gather herself before beginning. "People think I'm crazy when I tell them. They tried to pin it on me. They tried to throw me in jail. But they couldn't prove I did anything at all."

"In the town I grew up in...there's a legend that goes way, way, way back. So far back that no one can remember when or how it really started. A boogie man in the woods. A demon with no face, pale and tall as the pine trees with tentacles and the most slender body you can imagine. Everyone who grows up there is told the story. About how it steals souls and eats children. Only the bad children, of course, when you hear the story growing up. All the children when you're old enough to know that monsters don't care if you're good or bad.

It's a popular story and we have had a number of disappearances over the years. Some could be explained, others could not. You would hear jokes about it being The Tall Man's fault, taking another victim. They were nervous jokes, though...like they believed but didn't want to.

I heard these stories just like everyone growing up. I was your normal girl. A bit geeky in middle school; shy and desperate for friends. The popular kids picked on me a bit, but no more or no less than anyone else. The summer before my ninth grade year was spent at my grandparent's upstate. I came back shy as ever and an outsider. Everyone had buddied up from the other neighbouring middle schools. We had three different ones and they all went to the same high school once eighth grade was over. There were summer activites so we could get to know each other and to ease the awkwardness of starting high school with a bunch of new people. And I...missed out on all that.

I still knew people, of course, from my middle school. But what friends I had drifted to new ones from other schools. I spent those two months before the incident lonely and anxious. I tried so hard to make friends, but...I failed.

There had been disappearances over the summer. People I didn't know about, people I didn't care about. Older kids having just graduated. Most everyone said they just split town for another state or a bigger city, but there were a few that were adamant that they were taken by the boogie man.

Which leads to me..."

She trailed off, absently touching her cuffs before taking a draw and continuing. "You wouldn't think that a trio of senior grade athletes would believe in such a thing. They were so popular and all in advanced classes. Two boys and a girl. The boys played basketball and the girl was a cheerleader. But they did believe. They believed in him completely. I think...I think they saw him when they were younger and they knew that he was real.

For some reason they thought that the disappearances were the beginning of something bigger. A feast for it or killing spree or something. That the citizens had pissed it off with their jokes and it needed to be appeased. I don't know what got in their heads and warped their minds. They decided to take it upon themselves to make a sacrifice.

I don't know why they picked me. Yeah, I was a loner. But it wasn't by choice and there were other loners out there too. Maybe they just didn't like me or maybe it was random. Maybe they thought no one would care that much, the my disappearance wouldn't cause too much grief. I don't know and I never had the chance to ask.

They caught me walking home from the bookstore one night. Mom and dad had been fighting and they sent me to the store with some money so I would be out of the house and I didn't have to hear them. I remember so clearly how cold it was outside. I had bought myself hot chocolate and when they grabbed me and pulled me into the woods on the way home, it spilled all over my favorite sweater.

In my panic, I thought they were actually it. I thought they were The Tall Man. I fought to break free and it wasn't until I heard one of the boys cussing that I realized it wasn't. I was relieved for a moment until I remembered they had drug me in there. Silly, right? That moment of relief was enough for them to tackle me to the ground. The breath was knocked out my chest and I was so dizzy. I couldn't breathe and I was so confused as to what they were doing. They tied me to a tree as I tried to figure out what was going on. When I felt the rope pull against my stomach, I freaked out.

I cried and begged them to let me go. I asked why they were doing this and promised I would do anything for them if they untied me. The girl...I think she was the only one who felt remorse, told me that I was being sacrificed to the Tall Man so he wouldn't take anyone else. I begged and begged and begged for them to let me go. I thrashed about and apologized for every flaw I had, real and imagined. I begged and pleaded for them to explain why me.

The boys slit my wrists. I think they thought my blood would attract it. I screamed so loud. I have never felt pain that intense before. They were going to run and leave me there to die. They were going to run before It showed up but..."

Luna dropped her cigarette to the ground and hugged her legs to her chest, eyes squeezed shut as she remembered. The memories flashed before her eyes. Blood scarlet and bright spurting through the moonlight and black and dull splattering on the ground. Ragged flesh and jutting bones. Long, thing intestines torn and flapping about. Black tentacles and a tall thing masquerading as a man. Its paper white face and long limbs and claws and mocking black suit. "I saw him. I saw him kill them. I saw those tentacles rip their bodies apart. I saw them die and I saw their blood and guts and tendons shining in the moonlight. I saw all that and I passed out."

She trembled for a moment. She couldn't help it. The memory still made her gag and she hugged herself tighter before rushing on. "A couple found me lying on the ground. Stumbled into the woods for a kinky fuck. They found me with my wrists slashed and the other kids ripped apart. I was rushed to the hospital. I don't know how the hell I didn't just bleed out and die. The police came and questioned me and they thought I was crazy. They were so mad when I told them the story. They yelled at me for lying. But I told them the truth. I tell everyone the truth. And no one believes me. I was put on medication by a psychologist. Everyone tried to pin it on me, but they couldn't no matter how hard they tried. It was impossible going by the facts. High school...no, life was hell after that. I was bullied all throughout school. Little kids threw rocks at me. When adults would see me in public they would glare and curse at me. They shoved me and refused to serve me when I went to the store or restaraunts. My parents wouldn't even look at me. They wouldn't talk to me. I lost everything. I had no friends, no family. I had nothing. I left as soon as I could, tearing out of town without any goodbyes."

Her fingers traced patterns across the rough concrete before adding in an even softer voice, "I still see him sometimes. He'll pop up out of nowhere and scare the shit out of me. I don't know why he didn't kill me, why I'm still alive. I think he might be trying to drive me crazy. I think it's a game to him. There's him and two people. At least I think they're people. They show up and they'll just stare at me before disappearing. I'll wake up sometimes and they're in my room just standing in the corner watching me or looking down at me from beside the bed. I've moved so many times just trying to get away from them. But they always find me. This is the longest place I've lived in since I moved away from my hometown. I've seen them pop up, but they've stayed on the fringes. And It has shown up yet. I'm so scared It'll appear any second and begin to drive me up the wall again until I'm forced to leave." She bit her lip. "Do you believe me?"

It was silent before he answered her, the moment heavy on her chest. He wasn't going to believe her. No one did. She was crazy. Crazy fucked up insane psycho bitch murderer killed those nice kids. Oh, yes, she did. The boogeyman isn't real so she's crazy. She's crazy and sick and twisted and-

"Yeah. I believe you."

She turned her head toward him sharply. His cigarette had burned down to the filter and the ashes had fallen onto his pants. "You do?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I've seen him."

Luna felt her jaw drop and eyes widen. No one believed her. No one ever did. Her eyes narrowed and her voice was harsh and bitter, demanding as she asked him,"Are you just fucking with me?"

"No...no." Jeff's hands slipped under his white hood and she could see him gripping his hair tightly. "I've seen him. And Masky and Hoodie."

"That's...that's what you call them?" Appropriate, really. That was their identifying marks.

He nodded. "I don't know what else to call them by."

"Jeff-"

A truck pulled into the parking lot, lights blinding them obnoxiously and music blaring. Jeff stood up quickly, his face turned away from the lights. "I should go. You work tomorrow night?"

"Oh? Um, yes. Jeff-"

"I'll be here."

And with that, he began striding away. Luna watched him until she was forced to go inside and cater to the customer.

She didn't sleep that night. She couldn't with the memories. For the first time in years, she wished she weren't alone. She wished for a friend. Jeff, was he a friend? The thought made her smile. Jeff with his scars and his rough voice and cut up hands. Yeah, they would certainly make a pair. Maybe she could hang out with him outside of work before he left.


	3. Chapter 3

God she was fucking tired.

She rubbed her eyes, pressing the palms into them until she saw spots dotted into the dark nebulous.

She was so tired. Her sleep had been anything but bountiful or restful.

_"Fucking idiot. Fucking dumb slut. Fucking loser. Fucking murderer."_

She scratched an itch on her leg and pulled herself to a slumped sitting position. A sigh, a white little stick of death, the click of a lighter, an inhale. Even those simple motions exhausted her. The nightmares drained everything from her. Her motivation, her energy, her desire to get out of bed.

It wasn't every night that she had them. Sometimes, after she stayed up for a few nights in a row, she could fall asleep in an instant and sleep long and hard without anyone screaming at her or throwing rocks or dragging her into an alley to beat her to bloody mess or-

She clenched her jaw and hit her head back against the headboard. _Shut up_, she scolded herself. _Enough of that. Think of something else. Think of..._Jeff.

Jeff.

Jeff with his scarred hands and too white skin. Jeff with his white hoody and skinny jeans and bushy hair pushed to the front of his face to try to hide those angry little red scars on his face. She pondered for a moment how far they went, how they came to be. Did it have to do with It? Or something...else. Did...did he do that?

Was he actually going to tell her his tale? Or would he never show up?

She sighed and stretched over to her window, tossing out the butt and slamming it shut. She rubbed her eyes and shimmied down into her blanket again. She needed to sleep. She needed to sleep so bad. Luna glanced up at the lamp on her nightstand. It hurt to look at the light bulb and she squinted, her hand reaching to the switch. She hesitated, her hand shaking, before pulling it back to her chest. No. She couldn't be in the dark.

Fuck. There was a knocking at her window. She squeezed her eyes shut and gnawed at her lip, curling up and yanking the cover over her.

No sleep it was.


	4. Chapter 4

Nervous. Such an unpleasant feeling coursing through his veins. He was never nervous. He who could slaughter a family in under five minutes. He who evaded the police with ease and had more kills under his belt than could be counted or remembered. His hand was steady, his cuts sure. He was confident, maybe even cocky in all he did.

But. He was nervous.

Jeff stuffed his hands in his pockets, sighing as he trekked down to the gas station.

He was going to tell her about meeting It. He was going to tell her and the thought of telling her made him nervous. Telling meant questions. Questions that would be hard to evade. He admitted that he was enjoying his rest. It was like a vacation. And everyone needed a vacation, didn't they? He was enjoying having a clean bathroom at his disposal. And a kitchen with food already in it. A tv and a bed. Little luxuries.

He sighed again. There was a car in the parking lot. A nice Cadillac with shiny rims and a spotless exterior. He paused, debating whether to go in or not. It looked like there were a few people in there. An older man at the counter and a trio of teen boys. They probably wouldn't even look his way. Jeff continued into the store, unable to help himself from giving the car a light scratch with his knife on the way in. He smirked and gave Luna a little wave as he entered, wandering over to the drinks.

Water again tonight, he decided. Water and...not jerky. That jerky was awful. Wasabi ginger chips? Worth a try. The older man left with a glare at the teens who were guffawing and shoving each other around.

Jeff hung back near the coffee machines and watched them swagger up to the counter. The alpha of the trio leaned against the counter and Luna's eyes immediately narrowed. A menace faced before, perhaps? He barked out orders for tobacco and papers, listing off the variety of flavours he wanted and punching his friend in the shoulder for calling him a pussy for asking for the strawberry flavour. She fetched his cigarillos and the boys eyes were glued to her ass. For a petite girl, her small curves were nicely formed and the yoga pants she was wearing showed them off quite decently. She bent over to grab a pack of rolling papers and there was a low comment and smirks lit up their arrogant faces. Jeff's eyes flinched in the meaningless effort to narrow and his hand reached into his pocket on instinct, his thumb running over the sharp blade of his knife. Annoying punks. They laughed when she asked for their ids and Jeff could see her jaw clench and the muscles in her neck flex. Her head snapped over to the side and he could see the pure hatred in her narrowed eyes and the twitch of their lids.

Jeff turned around, not wanting to watch in case his temper flared and he was tempted to follow after the little snots. He heard her voice, quiet and sharp and the sound of the door opening and closing. Jeff turned back around and cocked his head, curious as he strolled up to the counter.

Twitching. Luna was twitching. Twitching with her nails clawing into her arms. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes narrowed. Jeff quietly placed his items on the counter and crossed his arms, curious as he waited and watched her stand so rigidly. She took a deep, shuddering breath before her head snapped over to him, eyes cold. They softened at the sight of him and her lips twitched up into a smile.

"Are you alright?"

She took another breath, quieter and more steady, and ran a hand through her hair. It fell back against her pale face tonight, lifeless and lank. She looked absolutely exhausted tonight. "Yeah, Jeff. I just...really don't want to be here. I'm very tired. I didn't manage to get any sleep last night. Um...Can I...can I get you anything else?"

"No, just this." He paid her and grabbed her wrist lightly- not even her wrist really, just the worn cuffs- before she could run her hand through her hair again. "Come on, Luna. We're going outside. You need a break."

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that would be nice."

He watched her silently as she walked from behind the counter. He wondered vaguely what she looked like outside of her uniform, if he would get to see it at some point. He couldn't imagine her in jeans and a shirt. She was moving slowly tonight, yawning quietly. Jeff followed her outside the store and they sat in what he had come to think of as their normal spots. Luna shivered once as a gust of wind blew by.

"Jeff...Jeff...are you going to tell me tonight?" she asked quietly, knees pulled to her chest and head resting on them. "Are you going to tell me about meeting It?"

Direct. She was so very direct. He liked that. He wondered if she would ask questions or let him be. "Yes...It wasn't so long ago that I met It. But first, Luna, I need you to understand that my life isn't the most...I'm not a good person and I do things most people would find...terrible. Some of the things I do are better not known by you and I-"

A squeak from her interrupted him and he glanced at her only to find that she was beside him suddenly, her small hands wrapping around his arm and shaking. Her hands squeezed his arm with more strength than he could imagine that frail looking girl to have. She stared at him. Unsteady breathing, emerald eyes huge with fright and so pale. So, so pale. She was beautiful like that and he could see the confusion in her eyes as she stared at him directly for the very first time and saw he was missing his eyelids.

"T-they're here." Her voice was so small, fright vivid in it. Her eyes never moved from his and the little squeak that escaped her was almost inaudible. "Jeff. Jeff-"

He quieted her, a scarred finger to her soft lips, and glanced around the parking lot.

You couldn't miss the masked duo standing stock still and looking so out of place. They were close, just past the pumps. Heads cocked to the side, they seemed almost curious as they stared at Jeff and Luna. Masky turned to Hoody and nodded once and then he was gone. Luna took a shuddering breath, her small frame pressing against him. Hoody stood rather still, not moving from his spot and keeping his stare on them.

"Jeff, Hoody can't teleport like Masky." Luna's lips were against his ear, her breath tickling him and words shaky. "Masky wouldn't leave him just there. They never sep-seperate. He-he's gone to get It. He's gone to get his master and we're going to _**fucking**_die."

Jeff chuckled and shook his head. "No, Luna, no." She withdrew from him only a little as he brought out his knife. He stood up and looked down at her. He would have to remember her like that...down on her knees, her lips parted and eyes wide in fright. Jeff offered his hand to her. She hesitated for the shortest of moments and her hand shook as she took his. So soft and delicate. It wouldn't take any effort to break all the fragile little bones. Up she went and he pulled her behind him, pressed between the pillar and his back. "Stay there."

Her hands clenched the fabric of his hoody and he heard the smallest whimper escape her. There It was. Masky and Hoody stood behind him a half step, hands behind their backs in mirror positions as if they were at attention. The tentacles were out, waving almost pensively, and its head was cocked to the side. It just stood there, watching them for a few moments before turning to Masky and Hoody. His hands landed on their shoulders and they were gone.

It was...anticlimactic. Anticlimactic and very strange. Jeff turned around to find Luna pressed against the pillar as close as humanly possible. She was shaking, her hands clenched in her hair and her chest heaving. A thousand yard stare, she didn't even seem to see him. She was clearly more affected than he was. It...that thing and his little minions must have been seriously messing with her over the years.

"Luna."

She jerked, her head hitting the pillar. Her eyes met his with little tears threatening to spill out down onto her cheeks. She was hyperventilating. "I have to get out of here. Have to get out. Can't stay. It's going to kill me. Kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me-"

"Luna."

Laughter bubbled out from her, broken and strained. She was going into absolute hysterics. Jeff sighed and grabbed her arms, trying to extract her hands from her hair. Strands snapped in between her fingers as he pulled her hands back and she hissed, twitching.

"Luna. I need you to calm down."

She shook and he sighed, holding her hands to her sides tightly as she twitched. She calmed down gradually, slumping against the pillar. She looked so exhausted and drained. Her eyes found his once more and her voice came out as a whisper, "I can't do this. I can't be here tonight. Come home with me, _please_. I can't be alone and I want you to explain. You have to explain everything."

Jeff stared at her, a smirk beginning to form. A laugh escaped. He couldn't help it. He threw his head back and laughed until he felt his sides begin to ache, his hands still holding her hands to her sides. His smile stretched widely and he bent down to the level of her pale face, grip tightening around her wrists. "Are you stupid? You want me to come home with you?"

She bit her lip and nodded, a tremble going through her. "Jeff, please. Pl-**_please_**."

"Did you not see this knife?" He released one slender wrist, bringing the blade up close to her cheek, trailing the point up from her clavicle to the soft skin.

Her breath stuttered and halted for a moment. They were so close that the shallow movements of her chest caused their bodies to brush together just the slightest. "I-I saw your knife."

He trailed the blade back down to her neck, pressing against the delicate skin. He threw his hood back with his other hand and brought his face even closer to her own. She inhaled sharply and the movement caused the knife to nick her skin. "And you see this? My scars? My lovely smile, my lack of eyelids? And you want me to come home with you? Don't be a fool, Luna."

She closed her eyes and took another breath, a slender trail of blood beginning to form. "I-I see all that, Jeff. Do you think th-that I would be scared, though? After what I've seen? After It?" Her eyes opened. He could see little flecks of gold and orange in the brilliant emerald up so close. Her hand reached up, hesitating, fingers brushing against the scars on the right side of his cheek. Jeff's breath caught.

No one touched him. No one ever touched him. No one ever touched him unless it was to kick and scratch and scream as they tried to run away. And this girl...was she brain dead? The touch of her fingers was so soft and light.

"You're not going to kill me, Jeff," she murmured. "You would have done it already if you were going to."

Was she trying to test him? He yanked her arms up roughly, slamming them against the pillar and causing a little gasp. He tightened the grip on her wrists and shoved his face closer to hers. Luna bit her lip and swallowed, eyes beginning to dart around and a light tremble racking her slender frame.

"You're not going to kill me. You would have killed me the first night." Her voice came out as a whisper, her breath tickling his skin and eyes unbelievably wide. She said it like an incantation. As if it would protect her. They stared at each for a long moment, her body shivering and lips trembling.

"You...you have a lot of courage. A lot of courage and a lot of stupidity."

He let go of her wrists and they fell limply against her sides, hands brushing against him on the way down. A silent sigh went through her and her body slackened so she slouched down against the wall. Jeff trailed his fingers up her arm and to her neck, hand pressing against it firmly. She tensed again and he felt a wicked little sense of delight at the movement.

"We'll leave. We'll leave here and I will go with you. I'll tell you my story and we'll decide what to do from here."

"Thank you." Her voice was a hoarse whisper and she looked up at him, her eyes so tired and exhausted and grateful.

Jeff rubbed her thumb along her throat, pressing tighter against the so delicate skin. Something like a yip escaped her and she bit her lip, eyes flicking downward.

"I like you. I genuinely like you." He brought his face back down closer to hers. "But don't think for one second that I won't kill you if the thought crosses my mind."

She kept her eyes down, teeth pulling at her bottom lip and rubbing one of her cuffs. Jeff released her and stepped away. He hid a smile and turned away as she touched her throat, her small hand shaking.

"So, sweet cheeks, my place or yours?"


	5. Chapter 5

"So, these are your digs, huh?"

Luna didn't say anything and he crossed his arms, walking up the creaky steps to her run down little house. The door opened for him without any trouble and he disappeared into the dark little hallway. She didn't bother locking her doors anymore. She had nothing anyone would want to steal. And They always found a way in- locked door or no.

Luna followed after him silently, trailing like a little pale ghost as he inspected the house. She dimly recognized how messy it was. There were coffee mugs scattered about, and boxes still full from when she had moved the last time, their contents spilling out haphazardly. Frantic drawings in stark black and white were pinned sloppily to the walls, some dotted with flecks of dark red from scuffles and violent fits. Dishes piled up in the sink and blankets and pillows were in small, random heaps from where she had thrown them to try to quell her fear and rage. Clothes she didn't have the energy to fold and put away overflowed from hampers and a weeks worth of dirty clothes were in a pile in the corner of her bedroom.

There was a time where she had tried to keep her house clean. She had been manic about it, positively anal. It kept her mind from worrying and busied her hands. But she would come home so often to find everything mislaid and askew. And it took so much energy to move, to put effort in anything but worry and terror. She was exhausted before she even woke up.

"Not much on cleaning, are you?"

Luna just looked at him.

Jeff.

She had willingly brought a killer into her house. She had begged a killer to come to her house. What was she thinking?

A dull flicker of panic sounded through her, but it was gone almost instantly. Jeff was a killer, but he was not going to kill her. Not yet, at least. And she would wager that she would rather die by his hand than by It's. She looked at him, took in his strange, scary, monsterous beauty. The corners of her lips curled up the smallest little bit. He was fond of her, for whatever reason. And as long as he was fond of her, he would offer some protection. And that was better than no protection at all.

And she did enjoy his company.

And she did like his smile.

And she did want to know his story.

And she didn't want to be alone anymore.

Luna took a deep breath and sigh. She rubbed her eyes, pushing the palms into them until she saw spots, and rolled her shoulders to try to ease the tension.

"Do you want some coffee or something?"

Those were the first she had spoken to him since she had quietly requested they go to her house instead of whatever place he was hiding out in. He laughed, his voice so rough, and that smile of his stretched even more so. "So she talks again! Yeah, I'll take some coffee."

She nodded and started the pot going, washing out two mugs for them both.

"How do you take it?"

"Just black."

She nodded and handed him his mug, using the chipped one for herself and lacing it full of sugar and cream. He followed her out to the sinking back porch and they sat under the light at the dusty table. Luna had wrapped herself in a blanket and turned the mug around in her hands over and over, warming them. She could feel Jeff look at her, but she stared out into the woods. Would they come tonight? Would they leave her be? Why did they just disappear earlier? What did they want? Why didn't they just end it already?

They sipped their coffee in silence, Luna lost in her worries and Jeff thinking of who knows what.

She needed to know what had happened to him. How he came to look that way. How he had met It. But...she was exhausted. She didn't know how to ask without being blunt and posisbly angering him. She didn't know how much more she could take tonight. She pressed a hand to her forehead and set the mug down with a dull clink. Her head hurt.

"Luna."

She turned her head toward him. He was looking at her, head cocked and eyes running over her face.

"How long has it been since you had a good nights sleep?"

"Um." Her brows knitted together and she frowned, confused. "Not...not for a while."

"You look like shit."

That was blunt. Blunt but true. She shrugged under her blanket and wrapped it tighter around herself.

"Go take a long, hot shower and go to bed."

"Excuse me?"

"Do it. You need sleep and it'll be better if we discuss everything in the morning or whenever you wake up."

"And what about you?"

He shrugged. "I need far less sleep than you do. Shower and go to bed. I'll keep watch and make sure the beasties don't get you in the night."

"But-"

The look he gave her made her insides squirm and her protests halted immediately.

"Do as I say."

His voice was so cold and firm. She nodded and stood up, blanket draped around her shoulder like a cloak. Her body moved on autopilot, feet propelling her into the house as her mind's eye replayed the way his knife glinted dully as he twirled it in between his thumb and fingers.

Luna found herself in the bathroom in the blink of an eye. She stripped herself of her uniform and stared in the mirror. Pale skin, too pale from the lack of sun. Tired eyes with little purple imprints under them. Her roots were showing. Her bones were sticking out. There were bruises all up and down her body and her tiny nipples were hard from the cold. She turned the shower on as hot as it could go and stepped in, the scalding water feeling like a cleanse.

It was all mechanical, the way she washed her hair and her body and shaved herself. She felt the heat and the sting of the water and it comforted her. She stayed in the shower long after she was done, sliding down to sit in the tub, eyes glazing over as she thought of nothing, really. Her mind blanked out and she just stared at the wall until the heat turned cold and she felt as if she were pelted by hail.

Her hair was tangled and it took her a while to work the knots out, but she managed. She felt better after her shower. Tired, though. So, so, so tired. But better. She wrapped a towel around her frame and wandered to her bedroom, the floor cold under her bare feet. Her bedroom was such a mess. So many clothes scattered on the ground and half empty cups and cans everywhere.

She rummaged through her dresser, trying to find some clothes to wear to sleep. God, she needed to do laundry...and put it away. She had just found an old pair of underwear and a bra when hand fell on her shoulder and she froze. It turned her around and there was Jeff in front of her, looking at her cold and trembling body wrapped in a towel. They were silent as they stared at her and his hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment before drifting down to hers where she was clutching the towel against her.

Her hand dropped at his touch and the towel drooped and he pulled it off of her. Luna shivered before him, naked and cold and unsure of what would happen. She didn't flinch when he touched her, his hand cupping her neck tightly and sliding down to her small breast. He pinched her nipple and she did inhale sharply, warmth flooding to her chest and her cheeks. His fingers stroked there for a bit, lidless eyes taking in her more than vulnerable form for what felt like ages.

And then, as suddenly as it had happened, his hand was off her and he sidestepped her. He poked around in the dresser and pulled out a pair of sleeping shorts and a faded old t shirt.

"Here, wear this to bed." Jeff thrusted the clothes into her hands and she started pulling them on without even really thinking about it. He folded his hands across his chest and stalked over to the old armchair in the corner she used whenever she curled up to read. Jeff sat, arms crossed, and watched her pull on the clothes slowly. "I'll be here while you sleep."

Luna nodded and slid into bed, feeling her weariness all the way down to her bones. It was so warm. And she was so tired. She managed to stay awake just long enough to mutter a "thank you" before giving in to the comforting abyss of sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

She slept so fitfully, tossing and turning and making quiet little disturbed noises in her sleep. At one point, she woke up with a ear shattering shriek with tears streaming down her cheeks and her nails scratching dangerously close to her eyes. It was almost a struggle to pin her down to the bed until she stopped thrashing and calmed down to a shuddering mess. Her eyes were so red, so mesmerizing as she stared up at him, chest heaving and body trembling. He made her take sleeping pills after that and she was out like a light. Luna still tossed and turned but, hey, she wasn't clawing at her eyes anymore.

Jeff watched her for a while to make sure she wouldn't jerk awake again. His hands stung from where her nails had scrabbled against them in her fit. She looked so exhausted- even while asleep. At one point she managed to stay still and he was put to mind of a fresh corpse. She was so pale, so thin. He could see her veins clearly. Azure blue streaked through snow white shoulders and smudges of mauve under restless eyes roving under paper thin eyelids. He shifted in the chair and propped his head up on his hand, idly running his eyes over her. She had been skinnier than he had expected. Almost gaunt. He liked it, the way her bones stuck out and how tiny her rosy nipples were. She had been shaven and the way her hipbones stuck out made him want to pin her against the wall and bite down into them.

Luna twitched and rolled over, dragging the blanket and exposing her little cheeks. Jeff sighed and stood up, walking over to the bedside and looking down at her. She had done as he told her with so little fight. Had she been too tired to protest? Too frightened to disobey? Or was she just that malleable? He ran his knife up her exposed thigh and she mumbled in her sleep, her hips rocking forward once. The knife went over her cheeks and he gave in to temptation and snicked into her pale flesh just so very slightly. Red dotted up onto the skin and she groaned. Her face contorted into a frown, body curling up into the fetal position.

Jeff snickered and walked away before he was tempted further. Her place was a total wreck. He had expected it to be much neater with the paranoia she had displayed earlier, but he supposed she didn't have the energy to put into maintaining a clean house. Not that it really mattered- she wouldn't be here for that much longer. They would be gone by nightfall if all went right.

He wondered briefly what her boss would think when they found out that she had just disappeared. He wondered if Luna cared. He wondered what the deal was with Hoodie and Masky. And speaking of the duo, he wondered where they were.

Jeff glanced out the kitchen window. Nothing but dark woods out there. He was surprised that she lived close to the woods- those were Its domain. But he supposed that at this point it might not really matter to her. It had stalked her for what, seven years now? Almost a decade. It was a wonder she was even alive, even able to function enough to work and take care of herself. He mentally shrugged and walked into the kitchen.

Such a mess. Not disgusting, though. Just...a mess. There were a few dishes in the sink and the drainer was stacked full. Cans were overflowing from a recycling bin and a trash bag was tied closed and set to the side. A few empty cardboard boxes were left on the table and the counter needed a wipe down- along with the dusty window. Jeff started another pot of coffee and wandered around as he waited, snagging one of her cigarettes and lighting up.

The paintings in the living room were of some interest. He studied them, inhaling thoughtfully as he looked them over. They were centered around her terrors it seemed. One depicted It standing in the forest with blood splattered on the ground. Another, a close and detailed work of Masky and Hoodie peering out from the bushes. The one half finished on the table showed It crouching over her bed, fingers turned into claws and mouth ripped upon on It's featureless face.

There were little dried red blotches on all the paintings. Blood, obviously. But blood from a fight or blood from violent fits? He had seen scars on her thighs and her arms as well as healing scabs across her stomach and shins. He wondered what she would be like in a fight. He couldn't really imagine it with the way she had froze earlier. But, sometimes the ones that couldn't handle the fear at first were the ones that fought hardest. At least from his experience they were. And she had put a hell of a fight during her panic attack earlier.

The coffee was finished when he went back into the kitchen and he washed his mug from earlier. The clock said it was four in the morning. He took a sip of the bitter brew and ran his hand through his hair. He needed to take a shower. Jeff sighed and took the mug up with him to Luna's room. She was curled up in the corner of her bed, blanket around her and her knees and her forehead pressed against the wall. She was frowning and there was a stuffed rabbit tight in her grasp.

A chuckle came from him and he sat down in the armchair. Out went the mostly gone cigarette against a ceramic bowl. One leg came to rest on his knee and he leaned back, drinking the coffee and watching her as she slept. Branches knocked against the window and he glanced over at it. Nothing but a slowly lightening sky and the dark form of an oak tree. He felt watched, though, and that made him feel annoyed.

The shower would wait until it was daylight. He would watch over her until then.


	7. Chapter 7

When she woke up, it was a struggle. Her mouth was dry and her eyelids were heavy and her arm was asleep. It tingled as she clenched and unclenched her hand into a fist. She felt better than she had in ages, though. Luna yawned and rubbed her eyes, sitting up and stretching her arms. It was light in her room when she opened her eyes and she sat for a few moments quietly.

Last night felt so...distant. Like a half forgotten, bizarre nightmare. She stood up and stretched again, looking around.

Jeff.

Jeff was gone.

Where was he?

Did It get him?

Did he leave her?

A dull pulse of panic went through her and she took a deep breath, sinking back down onto the bed. She felt faintly dizzy. He left her alone. Or was he really there? Had it been a dream? How long had she slept? Her hand went to her throat. No, he had to have been with her. Her neck was scabbed from his knife. And as she sat there, she could hear the sound of the shower running.

Luna sighed and stood up. She walked to her dresser and stared at her reflection. Messy hair, an over-sized shirt that slid off her shoulder, faded soffee shorts, and a bruised body. She looked like a mess. She always looked like a mess. She looked better. Less tired, at least. She wondered again how long she had slept, what time it was. She wondered how her boss reacted when he found out she had just left in the middle of her shift. Shit, what if the store had gotten robbed? Luna ran her hand through her hair and sighed. There goes that job. How much money did she have saved up? Maybe three hundred, four hundred dollars? Not enough for rent. Fucking hell. She wiped off a bit of smudged mascara from underneath her eyes. Hungry. She was hungry and she needed food before she could even think about last night.

She stepped back and ran her hands over her body. She needed to gain weight. She needed a shower. And she needed to brush her teeth. Would Jeff be out soon? Would he mind if she went in to brush her teeth? Her mouth tasted like death. Gross. Maybe she could just make breakfast and wait until he was done. Surely it wouldn't be long.

Wait, she couldn't hear the shower. Was he done? Luna wandered out of her room and down the hall. There was steam coming out from beneath the door. She would wait then. What did she have to eat? Coffee was a must. And pancakes, maybe. Or some kind of smoothie if the milk wasn't bad. Perhaps a-

The bathroom door opened behind her and she turned around curiously, walking a few steps and peeking her head in.

Jeff.

Jeff in a towel around his waist, dangerously close to falling off his hips.

Jeff with water dripping down scarred muscles and wiry limbs.

Jeff with long hair over one shoulder, untangling it with her comb.

Jeff with hungry eyes and rough hands as he stood there and just looked at her like she was the last slice of pizza.

She took a step back, ready to blurt out an apology, and he took two steps forward, grabbing her wrists and pulling her into the room. She gasped at his grip and her knees knocked together as she looked up at him. Their chests were almost touching. The scent of honey and cinnamon was overwhelming. He had used her body wash. He backed her against a wall and pressed her arms above her head and she trembled.

One hand gathered both her wrists and squeezed as the other ran down her neck and her shoulder, brushing away the barely hanging on sleeve to reveal it fully. Her wrists were uncomfortable, bony joints squished against each other. The tiled walls were damp and she could feel the back of her shirt growing wet. He was staring straight at her, his gaze unmoving and wide with those lidless eyes of his. It was so _quiet_. It felt like such a weight on her chest. That, more than anything, unnerved her and she started to blurt out, "Jeff, I-"

Teeth claimed the junction between her shoulder and her neck and whatever she was going to say was broken by a strangled gasp. Her nails scratched into the wall and her hips bucked up and there was that flame that seared up through her and-

"_Fuuuuuuuuck_."

He released her neck and chuckled, a tongue running up the side of her neck. "Well then."

She could feel the heat rising in her face. She didn't. She hadn't. No, no, no. No, that wasn't her that whimpered and hissed out. Oh god, no. It was just a surprise. Yes, a surprise.

He looked so amused. The grip on her wrists tightened and she bit her bottom lip, eyes averting. Teeth found her earlobe, her collar bone, down even to the slopes of her breasts. She could feel him chuckle against her skin as a yip escaped her when teeth scraped over her clavicle. His breath was so warm. It made her want to writhe. Her nails scratched into the back of his hand and he bit down so hard she could see spots. And then a knee was between her thighs and he pressed against her and she could feel him, _god_ she could feel him against her.

Jeff pulled away from her neck and they stared at each other. Her neck was just starting to feel cramped from looking up at him when he released his grip on her wrists. They said nothing still, his leg between thighs and her hands limp at her sides, lips parted and cheeks flushed. His forehead rested against hers and she could feel his breath against her collarbone. She closed her eyes and took a breath.

Then his hands were on her shoulders. And the feel of his forehead was gone. And she could hear him take a breath. And when she opened her eyes, his face was close. And there was the feel of his lips on hers and they were chapped but he was warm and it was slow and his hands framed her face and she could feel herself tremble and-

He laughed when she pushed against him, hands curling into his wet hair. Luna jerked back, checking herself and blinking hard. Oh god, her morning breath. She was disgusting. She could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks. Jeff laughed again and grabbed her chin, pulling her back to his lips. His teeth tugged on her bottom lip and she couldn't help the moan that escaped. His hands ran down to her waist and he pulled her tight against her.

It was a blur after that.

Teeth biting into tender flesh and tugging on bottom lips. Hands grasping and rough. Nails searing into thighs and backs and running against the walls and tiles. Moans and gasps and yips and curses. Slamming into the walls and the sink and the door and the floor.

She started crying at one point and he stopped, asking if it was his fault. She shook her head, unable to speak, and kissed him hard. It was just _so much_. He was unbearably gentle after that and it unraveled her completely.

When they were finished, she couldn't stand for the exhaustion and her wobbling legs. He ran a bath for her, scooped her up and laid down with her in it. Jeff washed her hair and her body and she told him about her virginity stolen by her father, the drunken one night stand that ended up with a body split in two and strung outside her apartment. She told him of her one and only room mate and one night lover that had caught sight of It and ran away, leaving all of her possessions and Luna behind. She told him how lonely she was, how she spent some nights and days crying over the want of a hug, the presence of another, even just a touch on her arm. Anything at all. It had been such a long time since she had the touch of another. Such a long time. Such a long time without desire. Such a long time with only accidental brushes of the hand or bumps as she passed another person in the street or at the store. It felt like a hole in her heart. People were assholes and they hurt her, but god that didn't mean she didn't want a hug.

He let her talk, his arms wrapped around her from behind. When she quieted, he took the plug out of the drain and helped her out of the tub. He dried her off and combed her hair. Jeff pulled his hoody over her cold form and he stepped into his boxer briefs and skinny jeans. His hoody went down to her mid-thighs and the sleeves dangled over her hands. It was fleece lined, warmer than she had thought and so comfortable. When she held the sleeve up to her nose it smelled like lemons.

He carried her down the stairs and into the kitchen, setting her down onto a chair. He started a pot of coffee and when she moved to gather things to make breakfast, he sent her a look that made her sit right back down. Jeff made toast and bacon. She watched him from her chair, knees pulled up to her chest. There were bite marks on him and bleeding little scratches. The sunlight caught the scars that zig zagged across his arms and torsos. He looked like art to her.

His chest was hairless. His arms had been, too, and so had his armpits and his pubic area and legs. She wondered why that was. His skin had been tough all over. Did that prevent it from growing? Why was it so tough? She looked down at her own legs. They were smooth, but only because she had shaved. There were new bruises on calves.

Jeff wordlessly placed two plates on the table and two chipped mugs with coffee. She thanked him and he sat across from her, sipping from his mug. Luna lowered her knees and crossed them in her seat, taking a piece of toast and nibbling on it. He sat his mug down with a dull clink, crossed his arms, and stared out the window.

Jeff didn't look at her. But he told her about his father cheating on his mother, the hushed scandal, the sudden move from the high rise city condo to the large house in the suburbs. He told her about Lui and how he had become distant after the move, the lies his mother told the neighbors, the stories his dad made him tell his mom when he snuck off on weekends to meet his lover, the drugs he found hidden away in Lui's room. He told her about the private school they had been transferred to, the school uniforms that he hated, the teachers that belittled him, the advanced classes that made his head spin. He told her about the bullies. They were too rich and too spoiled and too bored. He told her about how his mother was friends with theirs and the forced dinners and parties he would be threatened into going to. His parents would smile too much at each other, teeth showing and eyes hard. They would drink too much and leave him alone to laugh loudly with the adults and hurl silent insults at each other with their eyes. The vile shits he was forced into talking with would drag him off, threatening to frame him if he didn't cooperate. Lui was no help. He would be strung out in the corner, chatting in a low voice to his dealers. They would beat him up, steal his money, laugh at his clothes, laugh at his hair, laugh at his punches, laugh at his family.

Lui found him in the shed at one party, held down and bleeding. It was the one time that his older brother stood up for him since they moved. The threats of revenge rang hot in Jeff's ears for days. Lui promised to stop, to sober up and be there for him from then on. He told her of the next party, the last one. It was one of the kid's birthdays and his mom forced him to go, slapping him hard across the face when he protested.

He tried to keep himself out of their grasp, talking to anyone and everyone else, urging them to tell him stories and long winded tales. They caught him coming out of the bathroom. They drug him out onto their tennis court, throwing him onto the ground with kicks and punches and hissed threats of outing Lui to the cops and his dad to the neighborhood. He didn't think this was different from a normal beating until he found himself drenched with something smelly. He heard the sound of a match and then there was nothing but pain and smoke and screaming.

Jeff was told at the hospital that he had ran from the tennis court to the back lawn, scaring everyone and catching a rose bush on fire. He fell into a koi pond and put himself out, almost drowning himself. He fell unconscious when told he had to have surgery. When he awoke again, his face felt bandaged and heavy. He could see Lui in the corner, eyes red and glazed. His father and mother were arguing in hushed yells, darting glances at the door. The doctor came in and explained how the surgery had to be rushed and it had been risky and he had been lucky to survive. It sounded like muffled excuses and when the bandages were removed, he laughed until he lost his voice.

It was perfect. He looked perfect. _**Beautiful**_. He didn't have his mother's tan complexion anymore. His nose had melted and was made smaller; it wasn't the nose he inherited from his father anymore. He looked nothing like his parents. He didn't look like anyone.

He was released from the hospital a week and a half later, high on pain killers. His parents fought the entire way home and Lui wouldn't look at him. Jeff just stared at himself in the mirror and grinned, so happy to not look like them before. So happy to look like he didn't belong to them. His mother got drunk at dinner and smacked him for smiling. She smacked him again for _'letting himself get into that mess.'_ She punched him for laughing.

He couldn't sleep that night and found himself in the bathroom staring at himself. He couldn't be happier with how he looked. His mother came in and shrieked, still drunk and mad as hell at everything. She screamed at him to stop smiling.

He didn't want to stop. His face hurt, though.

She called him a Joker freak and that gave him the idea. The razor sliced through easily; he could barely feel the sting from the pills.

She shrieked so loud it made his eye twitch. She wouldn't shut up. She couldn't be happy for him. She couldn't see his beauty.

The razor ended up in her throat and she fell onto the floor, cracking her head on the toilet. It was beautiful, the way her blood looked against the white tiles. And she was quiet now.

He looked into the mirror again. He looked even better. He wanted to see his smile more, to be able to gaze at it longer.

His eyelids hurt more coming off and his eyes hurt after. He added eye drops to them and it hurt still, but it felt better. It stung when he wiped the blood off. He laughed and wiped it on the mirror, making it into a smiley face.

When he decided to walk down to the kitchen for water, he found his dad asleep at the table. He looked peaceful for once. He needed to stay that way. The kitchen knife made it easy.

Lui found him in the hallway. He was high as a kite and when he screamed, it hurt his ears. He felt anger flash through him. There was his brother. His brother who lied to him. His brother who didn't protect him. His brother who didn't help him. He asked if he was the devil. His brother didn't recognize him. Good.

He was gone with such little fight that it was almost disappointing. Jeff kicked Lui down the stairs, waving bye as he tumbled into the kitchen to join their dad.

He left the house after that and visited his bullies one by one. It didn't take much thinking. It didn't take planning. He climbed in their windows and crept to their rooms and oh did those snots cry.

And that was what started it. He had his bottle of pain killers, his kitchen knife, a pocket full of cash, and the clothes on his back.

She stared at him. She just stared at him. The bacon was cold and the toast was half eaten and her coffee had spilled over the rim of her mug when she set it down with a bang in anger. She stared at him and he finally, finally looked at her and she took him all in; black hair, blue eyes tinged yellow and red, pale skin, scars all over, sliced cheeks, muscles, clenched fists, and rigid back.

She looked at him. She blinked. She opened her mouth and closed it. She didn't know what to tell him, how to respond.

So she went over to him, sat on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "I'm sorry they did that to you. I'm glad you killed them."

He wrapped his arms around her without a word and they sat there quietly for a long, long time.


	8. Chapter 8

She was warm and her embrace was like a blanket on a winter's day. Jeff sighed and finally let her go. Luna lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him, blinking and quiet, her fingers curled in his hair. His stomach growled, her stomach growled.

"We need to eat."

She nodded and went back to her own chair, taking a big bite out of her cold toast. Jeff did the same and looked her over.

Her legs were up in the chair, his hoodie covering her knees when she tucked them under it. He could see the small curves of her ass and the bruises forming on her neck. The bite marks were still quite vivid. She looked...relaxed though. Rested even.

"Luna."

She looked up at him and offered a small smile. "Yes?"

"After you eat, I want you to go up to your room and find a small suitcase. Start packing your clothes and whatever essentials you can think of."

She tilted her head to the side and her brows furrowed a bit, confusion clear across her face. "Pack? Where are we going?"

Funny how she didn't protest or raise a brow. Funny how she just went along with it. Funny how it seemed like she trusted him. "We can't stay here much longer. It's time I move on from this area and you're coming with me."

"With you? Where are we going?" Crumbs stuck to her cheek when she took another bite of her toast.

"Yes, with me. I'm not sure yet. Up north, maybe. Toward Ohio."

She considered it for a moment, taking a sip of her cold coffee and making a face. "Okay. How long do I have?"

"A while. We're leaving just before night fall."

She nodded and wiped her mouth off with a napkin. "Should I find a bag and pack food too?"

"No, I'll do that. Now go pack."

Luna nodded once more and jumped up. His smile widened at the still bright scratches on the backs of her thighs. When she was out of sight, he leaned back in the chair and sighed, running a hand through his drying hair. Strange girl. Such a strange girl. How alone she must have been to get attached to him so quickly.

He finished his cold meal mindlessly and washed the dishes, yawning quietly as he stared out the window. Her backyard was a bit overgrown. The bushes were thick and the grass tall. There were snaking vines of thorns crawling up the back steps. The only clean patch of yard was cleaned out for a small circle of stones and a beat up lawn chair. Ashes piled high in the makeshift pit and threatened to spill over. A small breeze scattered a few ashes to the wind as he watched.

Jeff sigh and dried his hands off with a towel, eyeing the kitchen for something to pack food up in. There was a basket filled with towels in the corner- that would do. He tossed the towels in a drawer and idly began rummaging through the cupboard. It was pretty bare, but he managed to scavenge a few cans of vegetables, soups, baked beans, and a loaf of bread. He put a couple of forks and knives and spoons in as well, along with two cups and some napkins.

He placed the basket on the counter and stretched. He needed a nap before they left. Jeff wandered to Luna's room, leaning against the door frame and watching her flit around her room. She still wore his hoodie, flashing her bare cheeks as she bent down to retrieve a pair of jeans from the floor. She tossed it into a basket in the corner and sighed, straightening and putting her hands on her hips.

"Luna."

She jumped and whirled around, eyes wide and a hand to her heart. She visibly relaxed when she saw it was him leaning in the doorway and brushed her hair back from her face. "Yes?"

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me up in four hours. Earlier if there's...trouble."

Luna nodded and moved her suitcase to the floor. "You're more than welcome to use my bed. And I'm about to wash some clothes. Do you want me to wash yours as well?"

Jeff nodded and straightened, moving his hands to tug his pants down. It amused him to see Luna's cheeks flush cherry red. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes, fingers running through her slowly drying, curling hair. "I...um, will...will it keep you up if I finish packing in here?"

"No, just stay quiet."

He strode over to her and she took a half step back, her calves hitting the mattress. Jeff chuckled and handed her his underwear and pants. She side stepped him and put his clothes in the basket with the rest, picking it up to rest on her hip. A sudden smack to her ass made her jump and squeak, turning around to look at him with a surprised expression.

"Bring me a damp cloth once you're finished tossing that in the washer. I need it for my eyes."

She nodded, cheeks flushed, and scurried out of the room. Jeff laid on the bed and yawned, scratching at his thigh and running his hand up to his hip. Luna reappeared quickly, keeping her eyes on a spot somewhere between his shoulder and neck as she walked over to the bed. Jeff took the rag from her with a nod and placed it over his eyes.

He could hear her for a while, moving quietly and carefully until there was the noise of a suitcase being zipped closed. Her noises faded and the door clicked shut and he pulled the blanket up to ward off the chill of the room. It was almost too quiet for him to ease in to sleep. Jeff sighed and rolled over, readjusting the rag. There were too many thoughts in his mind right now.

Where were they going to go? Up north would be best. He had lingered for far too long in the southern states. But...it was getting colder. They might freeze if they are unable find shelter easily. He thought of her for a moment, blue with cold and shivering violently. How much of a hinderence would she be? Would she be able to keep up? How would she react watching him go after his kills? How would she react when he makes her gut someone for the first time? There was a part of him that thought once that primal part of her was unleashed, she would make a decent murderer. But he was also prepared to kill her if she was a whining nuisance.

He doubted that she would be a nuisance. If anything, she would be a help to lure people in. He would need to make her do something about her hair. She would need to change her appearance. Surely she would be looked for. He smiled, wondering what had happened back at the gas station once her manager had come and seen that it was abandoned. Hell, he would have called the cops and then come after her skinny ass if he were her manager. Jeff was surprised that there hadn't been a call or something already.

He sighed and yawned, feeling himself drift toward sleep. They would make a quick getaway when he woke. Thank god she had a car. Yeah, up north would be good. He yawned again and got more comfortable, adjusting his rag once more before letting himself fall prey to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Luna blinked and looked around, mildly confused. What? What had she been been doing?

She ran her hand through her hair and frowned. Red? When?

She closed her eyes for a moment and thought. Yeah, yeah. Jeff went to sleep and she could remember grabbing the box of dye from under her sink and thinking that she needed to change her appearance. And then...vague memories of dyeing her hair and then sitting in her armchair. She glanced over and noticed the full cup of coffee on the windowsill.

Oh, _lovely_. It was fucking with her or she had spaced out and dissociated for an hour or two. Luna rubbed her eyes until sparks lit up behind her lids and sighed. It was probably close to time to get Jeff up. She ran her hand through her hair again and examined the strands idly. It was crimson. Her eyes probably popped with this new colour.

She stood up and stretched, wincing at how tight her joints felt. The clock on the wall said it was six. Yeah, time to wake up Jeff. She stretched once more, going up to her tippy toes and swaying left to right. Right. Time to wake up the sleeping serial killer.

Luna walked to the room and peeked in, wondering if he was even still asleep. Maybe he had woken up already?

No. He was laying still, the wash cloth across his eyes and his knife clutched in his fist. The covers had been pushed down to his hips and it suddenly hit her that he had fallen to sleep naked.

Her face flushed immediately and her teeth tugged at her bottom lip. She should grab his clean clothes first, right? Luna watched him for a few moments, admiring his form in her bed. She could feel herself flushing more as she recounted the morning's events. That had been quite a way to start the day. Had it been a fluke? Maybe. She kind of doubted it, though.

Did she even want that? He was...he was a killer.

And the first person to show her affection in a long damn time. And he had pushed her behind him when Masky and Hoody appeared. And he had listened to her as she poured her guts out about her life. And he had believed her when she told him about It. And he had told her about how he had started. And god **_damn_** had it felt good when he bit her hip and tightened his grip on her throat.

A whimper escaped her and her hand flew to her mouth.

She knew she should have some sort of aversion. A mentally healthy person would have fled. A mentally healthy person would have maybe even stabbed him in his sleep. A mentally healthy person would have at least called the cops.

But she wasn't healthy.

And it felt too good staring at his knife and imagining him running it up her neck again.

Luna was in a lot of trouble. She recognized it dimly, acknowledged it, and brushed it off. She was probably going to be killed by him or something else. But. She was going to die eventually.

She accepted it willingly, even nodding to herself.

With that out of the way, she walked in with a small smile to wake up her companion.


	10. Chapter 10

He was awake as soon as he heard footsteps in the room. His hand gripped his knife tighter and his body tightened automatically, adrenaline running through his veins.

"Jeff?"

Luna. Her voice was so soft. He relaxed the tiniest amount and sat up, taking the wash cloth off his eyes. His face twitched as it always did when he woke, still so used to the natural motion of blinking after all this time. There was the normal cloud over his vision that disappeared in bright bursts as his eyes adjusted. There was a weight on the bed and his gaze adjusted to see Luna sitting on the edge of the bed.

His brow raised in appreciation as he took in her appearance. "Red is a very good look on you."

She smiled, her eyes lighting up and a flush on her cheeks. "Thank you. I thought that maybe I would need to change my look."

"Yeah. I was going to have you do that. Good job thinking ahead."

Jeff stretched and sat up more with a yawn. Luna's pale face flushed more and her lids lowered as she looked at him. Her teeth caught her bottom lip and he cocked his head at this display.

"What?"

Luna didn't answer. Instead she crawled toward him, straddling herself on him. She kissed him, a little noise escaping as he reflexively grabbed her hair in a tight grip. Nails scratched down his chest and suddenly her hand was around his shaft and she pulled away from his lips, flush on her cheeks and gaze clouded.

"Jeff."

His name came out as a moan and he felt himself harden more. Luna trailed her lips down to his neck, hair still tight in his grasp. She whined lightly, her progress down his body was stopped from his hold and she looked up at him.

"Please?"

He let her go and she continued down, down, down. Her teeth nipped at his flesh and her tongue ran over the little bites as she slowly made her way down. She finally reached her destination and lapped lightly at him, staring up at him with her hazy eyes.

Sometimes not having eyelids was a bit of a blessing.

When they ended, they smoked in silence. Luna leaned back against his chest with a content smile. He stroked her hair absently, staring up at the ceiling.

"So." His voice broke the silence and he cleared his throat, tapping his ash into the tray.

"Yes?" Her voice was drowsy, laced with pleasure.

"What brought that on?"

She didn't answer for a moment, instead nuzzling back against his chest. "I wanted you is all. Is that okay?"

He brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah."

"That makes me happy," she murmured. She was sounding so sleepy.

"Luna, don't start falling asleep. We have to leave."

"Okay. Do you want me to go get your clothes?"

"Yeah, go on."

She hopped out of the bed and stretched for a moment. Jeff looked her over as she did so, taking in her reddened cheeks, the bite marks decorating her thighs, and the shallow cuts down her stomach. His smile stretched and he finished his cigarette, thinking about how wet she had been as he slid his knife down her stomach.

What an interesting girl.


	11. Chapter 11

The car was packed with the food he had gathered and the things she had packed. Luna lingered on the porch for a second, staring at the house. She had always known she wouldn't live there forever, but she had never thought she would leave like this. She felt oddly detached from it, only slight tingles of adrenaline sparking down her spine.

"Luna, come on."

Luna nodded to herself and took a breath, walking over to the car. Jeff flicked his cigarette into the garbage can and got in the vehicle, smile stretching. Luna took one last look and then slid into the driver's seat. She started the car and gripped the wheel.

"So. Where to?"

"First we should swing by the place I've been crashing for more supplies." Jeff stretched and put his feet up on the dash. "Then we need to switch the plates on your car. We can grab something from one of the cars there."

She nodded and pulled out of the driveway. "Just point the way, Miss Daisy."

He snickered lightly and she smiled, her heart slowly falling to a normal pace. They were quiet for a few minutes, save for Jeff pointing out where to turn.

"Hey, Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"What state are we headed to?"

She could see him shrug from the corner of her eye. "I don't really have a destination in mind. We'll just travel north as we can."

She nodded and pulled into the parking lot he pointed to. He had been hiding out so close to where her house was. If he had traveled a little further she might have been his victim. Luna swallowed and parked where he indicated.

"Be quiet, okay? We don't want anyone spotting us if possible."

"Yes, Jeff."

They exited the car and Luna followed him to one of the complex buildings. They hurried up the stairs and she cursed to herself mentally, realizing how out of shape she was. She would have to push herself so as not to slow Jeff down. Otherwise...otherwise he might decide she wasn't worth keeping around.

Jeff opened one of the doors and they slipped in. Luna sighed in relief as the door clicked behind her and then crinkled her nose. Ugh. What was that smell?

"Shit. Looks like I didn't clean thoroughly enough."

Luna gulped and closed her eyes before glancing around. There was large stain on the carpet. Her fist clenched and she took a few breaths, willing herself to stare at it.

This was it. This was what her life would have in it from now on. Blood. Death. Casual fucking remarks about not cleaning up the gore good enough.

She could accept it. She had to.

"Luna, there should be a backpack in the bedroom. Grab it and fill it up with anything useful, okay?"

"Okay."

She skirted the stain and located the bedroom on the first try. She had to admit that she was a little curious about it. What kind of guy had Jeff's victim been? Luna glanced around the room. A replica hammer that looked vaguely familiar, a few comic books, figurines, a meme poster. So. A nerd? Would a nerd have anything of use?

She found the backpack and started rifling through the room. There wasn't much that seemed useful but she did find a pocket knife and some money. On impulse she tossed in some boxer briefs and a few pairs of socks for Jeff. Okay, that was done.

She snagged toothpaste from the bathroom along with a box of band-aids, some Tylenol, a roll of gauze, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Nothing of note could be found in the laundry room so she wandered back to the living room.

"Did you find anything?"

Luna nodded and walked over to the kitchen area, handing Jeff the backpack. "Yeah. There wasn't much but I found some medical supplies and a knife and money."

"Good girl," he said absently.

The phrase made her blush lightly, a small smile on her face. Tingles. That gave her little tingles. "Thank you. Um, so are we ready?"

"Almost. I want to raid the cupboards first."

Luna nodded and hopped up on the counter, watching him as he went through the food.

"How are we going to get the license plates off and switched?"

"I found the tools to do so in a junk drawer. I'll do it while you keep watch. It's a work night and dark enough that no one should be peeking out the windows."

"Okay."

Jeff tossed in a few small airplane bottles of vodka and whiskey and some cans of fruit into the backpack. "Right. Let's head out then."

She hopped off the counter and shouldered the backpack when he handed it to her. Luna tensed as they left the apartment, hurrying after Jeff with the lightest step she could manage. It was dark, save for the few lights in the parking lot. Quiet, too. There were only a few lights still on in the windows of the complex.

Luna was fidgety as Jeff switched the plates, nervously scanning the lot and the windows. No one so much as drove past the complex, though, and when they got back in the car, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Right. We should probably do that whenever we can." Jeff put his feet back on the dash. "Let's head out."

So our adventure begins.

The thought echoed in her mind and she smiled, backing out of the space and pulling out of the lot.


	12. Chapter 12

They were quiet as they sped down the interstate, the radio softly filling the silence. Luna seemed lost in her own thoughts and Jeff idly watched the passing scenery.

"Hey, Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you drive? Like, do you know how?"

"Yeah. It's been a while, though."

He turned his head toward her and saw her nod, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"What's it like to kill someone?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It depends. It can fun, it can be annoying. Sometimes it can be sad. It's hard, though. Physically it can be hard as fuck. Choking the life out of someone is really hard. Pinning someone down is hard. Breaking a neck or an arm or whatever is hard. Stabbing someone can be hard. You have to be strong. Adrenaline helps."

"And mentally, emotionally?"

Jeff shrugged. "I would say that it's different for each person. It hasn't been hard for me."

"Not even in the beginning?"

"I was high off my rocker and reeling from ptsd." Jeff stared out the window. "I crashed a little once I came down, but...not really."

Luna was quiet for a few moments. "Are you going to make me kill someone?"

"Most likely."

She was quiet again for a few moments before whispering an "okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

"You've thought about it before, haven't you?" Jeff yawned and scratched his chin.

"Yeah. I mean, who hasn't?"

"But," Jeff took out and cigarette from her pack and lit it up, "you've probably been closer to doing so than most. You had a fucked up little life."

Her knuckles turned white for a moment as she clenched and unclenched the car wheel. "Yeah."

"Who was the first person you ever thought about killing?"

She hummed quietly, thoughtfully. "I...don't know. I think...I think maybe the police officer that questioned me. I remember waking up in the hospital and being disorientated. He was by my bedside glaring at me and started hurling questions at me without even letting me adjust. Everything he said was laced with venom. It was clear he thought I killed them from the start. I didn't understand it, though, really. I was out of it and scared. When he left my room I could hear him talking to the nurse. 'That little bitch killed them, I know she did.' He was the first person I saw and then everyone after that held the same glare."

"Would you kill him now?"

"I..." She was quiet for a little bit. "Yeah. I would."

"Imagine you're killing him whenever you eventually have to kill someone. It'll make it easier. Might even be therapeutic."

Luna nodded and yawned quietly. "Are there any cigarettes left?"

He checked the pack and sighed. "Two left."

"May I have one?"

"Sure." He handed over the lighter and a cigarette, watching her as she carefully lit up.

"Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do about my ID? I mean, if we have to buy stuff or whatever."

He sighed and popped his knuckles. "We'll find someone that does fakes. I'm sure we can find a guy in a seedy bar or something."

"There's a lot to think about and do whenever you run off with a serial killer." A small smile was on her face.

"It's harder than one would think."

"Are we going to sleep in the car tonight?"

"No. We'll find a small town and skeezy hotel to crash at for the night. And then we can seek out a bar and feel out for ID's."

"Okay."

"You're going along pretty willingly with this."

She shrugged. "I mean, you're kind of the knowledgeable one here."

"I meant with the whole situation. You've been willing from the start."

"I..." Luna sighed. "Yeah...I...I guess I have."

"Do you feel bad about it?"

"Not really. I mean why would I? You know what my life has been like. If anything I feel guilty. I mean, It isn't just going to be after me now."

"We'll be fine."

"If you say so." She sighed and the gas light came on. "Time for the first stop on the killer road trip."


	13. Chapter 13

Luna pulled up to the pump and yawned, looking over at Jeff. "Should I just get gas?"

"We're going to drive a bit longer. Grab energy drinks or coffee. Maybe some jerky."

"Alright. Which would you prefer?"

"Redbull. The blue kind if they have it."

"Will do so."

Luna gave him a cheeky salute and got out of the car. It was chilly. She stretched and zipped up her jacket a bit more, happy she had grabbed it. She felt a bit nervous as she walked to the store for some reason. Which was ridiculous. It wasn't like she had done anything and people weren't looking for her...yet.

The store was empty when she walked in save for the cashier leaning against the counter. He mumbled a "hello" and she nodded in his general direction before hurrying to get what she needed. She grabbed the redbull and the jerky as requested before walking over to the coffee area. Luna wished for Starbucks as she stared at the machines, frowning slightly. Sub-par and gross. How did people actually like this garbage?

Luna finally decided on the supposed mocha flavor, lacing it with creamer and enough sugar for cake. She was just pouring in a last packet of sugar whenever she heard a "oh, hey Officer Brady."

Luna jerked, sugar spilling on the counter, and cursed under her breath. Stay cool. She had to stay cool. She was just another person grabbing a late night snack. The officer wouldn't even care. He would probably just grab donuts and dip or _what the fuck ever_.

She took a deep breath and popped the cap on her coffee. Time to pay and leave. Luna brushed her hair down into her eyes and walked over to the counter, heart beating fast and a (hopefully) calm expression on her face.

"Anything else?" the cashier asked as he rang up her items.

"Twenty on six, please," she told him quietly. "I'm paying with cash."

"Cool." Luna heard footsteps behind her and her heart skipped so fast she felt it would burst. "It'll be thirty three dollars and twenty cents."

Luna silently handed over her cash, trying to restrain herself from tapping her foot impatiently. It took all her will power not to yank the change from the cashier's hand. She mumbled a good night to him and gathered her things, walking out of the store as fast as she could without seeming suspicious.

"Jeff, there's a cop in there," she whispered to him as she handed over the jerky and redbull.

His brow cocked and he shrugged. "It's fine." Her face must have still held a stressed expression because he sighed. "It's _fine_. Seriously. Don't worry about. Just pump the gas and we'll leave and that'll be that. Do you know how many times I've walked right by the cops undetected? Don't worry."

Luna bit her lip and nodded. "Okay. If you say so."

He leaned over toward her and grabbed her chin, pulling it down and kissing her with a bite to her bottom lip. He pulled away and he patted her cheek lightly. "Good girl. Now pump the gas."

Her heart sped up, but in a different way. She smiled and nodded him, warm despite the light chill. Luna pumped the glass nonchalantly, humming even as she did so.

It was probably fucked in some way that Jeff- no eyelids, scarred face, knife wielding Jeff- made her glow from that little phrase. It was all fucked, though, so did it really matter? She did wonder, though, why it made her feel better. Probably a validation thing, right? She had craved attention, affection, and approval ever since she was cast as a crazy little psycho and had received it maybe a palmful of times.

Luna sighed and twisted the gas cap back in its place. Who cared why it made her feel better? It was nice to feel something. She got back in the car and smiled at Jeff.

"So, where to?"

"Let's keep going north. When you get too tired to drive, we'll stop."

Luna nodded and started the car. They were quiet for a few moments as she maneuvered back onto the interstate.

"You're going to get used to cops."

"I...I don't know."

"You're going to have to."

"I know," she told him quietly, staring out the window.

"Is it because of the cop in the hospital? And all the cops after?" Luna nodded and he kicked back in his seat. "We'll get you over that. You can kill one."

"Wouldn't that be risky?"

Jeff shrugged. "It's all risky."

They fell quiet again. Luna drove, lost in her thoughts, and Jeff idly flipped through the her little binder of Cd's.

What music did he like? She pondered this and glanced over at him. Now probably wasn't the time to play twenty questions. She didn't want to bother him. She returned her gaze to the road, wincing occasionally from the too bright lights flashing from the other side of the interstate.

They passed into a new county. And then another. And then another. The coffee wasn't really helping her and the yawns were coming more frequently. She needed to stop and stretch to wake up.

"Jeff?" She could even hear the sleep laced through her voice. "I think I need to pull over and stretch or something."

He glanced at the clock on the dash and made a little noise of contemplation. "Are you sure you can't make it to the next county? We're close. We can stop there and find a room."

"I don't know..." She yawned. "I'm so sleepy."

He leaned over toward her and she could see a little smirk on his lips. "Let me wake you up then."

She jumped as she felt his hand suddenly on her thigh, gripping it tightly. "Jeff?"

A small noise escaped as she felt the cool metal of his blade caress against her thigh. He drew it this way and that way and she had to grip the wheel tightly to not jump. She was _very_ aware of how sharp his blade was and knew she would be cut if she moved. The thought made her bite her bottom lip, warmth blossoming down below.

He teased her for a few moments, even running his hand in between her thighs to rub at her through her shorts. Yeah, she was awake now.

"Better?" he asked, a laugh hidden in his voice as he pulled away and settled back into the passenger seat.

"I, um." Her cheeks felt so warm. Could he see how red he made her? Had he felt how hot she was, how needy she had instantly became? "Y-yes. Thank you."

He laughed, low and deep and it made her shiver and clench the wheel tighter. "You're welcome."

She swallowed, trying to calm herself down, and bit her lip. "J-Jeff?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we...is it going to be like this?"

"Be like what?"

"I..."

Luna could see his grin stretch in her peripheral and she had to take a deep breath.

"Like what, Luna? Like you're going to crawl in bed when you're needy and horny and wet just so you can beg me to use you? Like I'm going to grab you and kiss you and bite into your shoulder whenever I want? Like I'm going to fuck you until your legs give out and fuck you even after?"

A quiet moan escaped her and she could hear her own breath quicken. Oh, god. Oh _god_ that was so hot to her. No one had ever talked like that to her before. And **_fucking hell _**was it doing things to her.

"We're going to fuck and you're going to learn to kill and that's what it's going to be like."

Luna could only whimper in response. The sign declaring they were entering into the next county flashed by and Jeff popped his knuckles.

"Right, turn off and find a hotel."

"Yes, Jeff."


	14. Chapter 14

Luna was shaking lightly in the passenger seat as she drove through the small town. Jeff smirked. It was..._satisfying_ having that effect on her. He didn't know why he had that effect, but he would take it.

"That one looks alright," he told her and pointed to a dilapidated motel.

"Yes, Jeff," she whispered.

There was that shaky little quality in her voice, that little tone that told him just how much she had been affected. He would bet his knife that he could bend her to his will to do just about anything. Luna was interesting and was very attached to him already.

She could possibly be what Jane had failed at being.

Jeff shook that thought as Luna pulled into the parking lot. She parked and turned the car off, a deep breath taken and her hands trembling as she removed them from the wheel.

"Go in and see if they have a vacancy. Get the cheapest room you can for two nights."

She blinked, a nervous expression on her face. "I, um, okay."

"Why are you nervous?"

Luna clenched her fists in her lap, looking down. "I...I just have anxiety with these kinds of things."

Jeff let out a laugh. "Luna, look at where you're at right now. Is this really going to be the thing that gives you anxiety?"

She bit her lip and he leaned over toward her, grabbing her chin and turning her face toward him. His lips brushed lightly against hers before pulling back. "Be a _good_ girl and get a room or I'll break your pinky."

Luna jumped, eyes widening, and nodded. "Y-yes, Jeff."

"Go."

She scurried out of the car, backpack bumping against her as she quickly walked into the building. Jeff sighed and ran his hand through hair before putting his feet on the dash. He idly twirled his knife as he waited for her tow return, scanning the parking lot. He wondered when It would show up. Would It stay away for a while? It had just disappeared when he had seen Jeff with Luna.

A fast walking figure exited the building and Jeff got out of the car as Luna hurried over.

"I got a really cheap room." She cringed lightly, arms wrapping around her waist. "It's kind of gross in there. The clerk was a bit sleazy."

"Would you expect anything different from a place that looks like this?" Jeff gestured to the building. "Grab what you can and lead the way."

Luna nodded and they grabbed their belongings before heading into the motel. Luna was right. It was gross. It smelled old and musty. The lights flickered in the hallway and there were spots where the paint was chipped and the wallpaper torn.

She found the room and opened it, a somewhat apprehensive look on her face. Jeff went into the room first, flipping on the light and pulling his hood down. It wasn't that bad in there, really. There was a stain on the carpet and the lights were dusty. It just seemed a bit old. Luna stepped in behind him and closed the door, a click indicating that she had locked the door.

He dropped the bag to the floor and turned toward her. Luna smiled at him, taking off her jacket.

"Not too bad, ri-"

He cut her off with a hand to her throat and a shove back against the door. She let out a startled and strangled cry, her hands moving to grab him. He knocked her hands away and put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to the ground.

Luna stared up at him, lips parted and eyes wide. She trembled as unzipped his pants, her eyes fixating as he pulled his shaft out. She gasped as he gripped her hair and forced her head forward. Luna choked as her head hit back against the door, small tears from the hit making her pretty eyes gleam. That only made him grip harder and thrust, her head hitting against the door in a little rhythm.

She gagged and drool dripped from the corners of her mouth, but she whimpered as he pulled out and leaned forward. Her tongue ran over her lips, taking in her own spit and the taste of him. Jeff pulled her up and over to the bed, pushing her down onto the garish covers. She stared up at him, eyes half closed and her chest rising up and down as she panted. He reached out and cupped her, feeling how warm she was. Luna squirmed and moaned, gripping the covers and turning her head. He grabbed her face and forced her to look up at him, hand running from her cheek to rest lightly on her neck.

"Do you want me to fuck you?"

She flushed and nodded slowly, breath quickening.

"Say it."

"I..." He squeezed her throat lightly. "I want you to...fuck me."

"Louder."

"I want you to fuck me. **_Please_**."

His grin stretched and his cock throbbed. "Good girl."

After, Luna laid her head on his chest, cuddled right up against him. She was exhausted but she still nuzzled against his hand as he stroked her hair. There was a light mark on her cheek where he had smacked her. The way she had smiled after was imprinted deep into his mind.

"Jeff?" she murmured.

"Yes?"

"Can I have something to drink?"

"Of course." He stroked her hair once more and got out of the bed. He found a bottle of water in the back pack and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she told him, rubbing her eyes before drinking.

Jeff could see the bite marks along her breasts as she sat up and drank the water down. She would be bruised in the morning. She would probably be bruised until she died, decorated in his marks. Luna was a good lay. The way she pushed against him and begged with such need and gasped in delight as he hurt her was so, so, so good.

He took the water bottle from her when she was through. She cuddled back into him as he slid into bed and he absently placed a kiss to her forehead. He was going to make her kill tomorrow. That would be a test.

Jeff was sure that she could. He was sure she would even like it. After having such a life, how could she not? She yawned and he glanced down, his own smile stretching at the small smile on her face.

He brushed her hair back and clicked off the lamp. Time to rest.


	15. Chapter 15

She had found an _interesting_ companion. He could remember Master telling him about that thing that had been so foolish to go against him. How coincidental that these two had found each other.

And how _fascinating_ they were together. He knew her as a stressed ball of prickly energy, constantly on guard and frightened. He would have guessed she would have bolted upon seeing his face. She hadn't, though. She had clung to the killing machine, even falling on her knees for him. Even crying out in pleasure as he hurt her.

She didn't do so whenever he hit her. Or whenever Master grabbed her.

Humans were _so_ very interesting.

He marked a few notes down as he peered into the window, barely able to see the two in bed. She was curled against the unnaturally pale man, smiling as she slept. He wondered how Master would proceed with this.

He had been ordered to observe the pair. He was glad. It was a bit of a break from the testing and this was the most fascinating display he had had in quite some time.

This had thrown a wrench in everything. The girl had been on the fast track to being warped into a minion. Her mind was getting close to the point of breaking. And then this creature they had dismissed had entered into the scene. Nothing was going quite as expected.

Master had been furious...at first. But he sensed that he had became interested instead. Why else had Master let out the order to not harm the two?

He propped his head up on his hand as he stared blankly into the room. This would be amusing, at least.


End file.
